Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers - William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet - act 4, scene 2 Wise words from The Bard, which should be a warning to all cooks to taste, taste, taste as they prepare their worldly delights. A tip which I would commend to the chef at The Swan at The Globe. The Globe Theatre is the defacto home of Shakespeare, a reconstruction of his original London theatre, located on the Southbank. The Swan is fully integrated into the theatre building but does have a separate entrance. The décor was very well put together, dark woods and intricate patterns were combined with plain tables and painted wooden chairs in the bar area. Upstairs, the Brasserie, where we were eating, was a simple design of creams and dark browns, with some interesting flower arrangements scattered about. A large dining table at one end provided the possibility of private dining once the heavy curtains were drawn. The layout was comfortable, and we certainly weren't falling across other diners - not least because there weren't many others; rather surprising for such a prime location. The Swan, as our hostess explained, has a busy sitting before the evening performance at the theatre after which the Brasserie closes in order to re-lay tables. J and myself were invited to take a drink at the bar. The menu is small, providing about 7 dishes per course, and all seem reasonably priced. Large menu selections fill me with dread and suspicion: large menus seldom provide fresh, quality produce. So to the food: J opened with potted shrimp, served in an old fashioned clasp fasten jam jar delicately placed on a folded white napkin. Unsure what to do with the napkin, it was swiftly removed. Slight hints of chilli - but ever so slight. My Scallops, with braised lentils and gremolata (the waitress was unsure how to explain what this was - so we only got as far as it's the sauce that comes with the lentils - it was clear she didn't know!), were well cooked: tender, juicy and sweet. The lentils were still very much al dente, bit too much for my liking. The common thread for both dishes however was blandness. And here I refer to my opening quotation. Dishes were well constructed and presented and arrived full of promise. But the lack of basic seasoning deflated two otherwise good plates of food. Taste, taste, taste. J's main course was Elwy Lamb with spring beans and thyme sauce and a side of classic cauliflower cheese. The cauliflower cheese tantalised with a crunchy cheesy top and cauliflower with a bit of a bite. The faintest bit of nutmeg provided a fleeting aftertaste; the sauce a bit thin. The lamb was nicely pink, just as promised. I had a beautifully baked salmon, still moist, with a topping of crisp skin. The accompanying crushed new potatoes and tomato sauce didn't thrill and let down the fish, but I did eat the lot. Once again the basics of seasoning was missing, the importance of which I can not understate. And if you're going to use tantalizing seasoning like nutmeg, then let's make sure it really incorporates into the dish, rather than being an afterthought. Pudding however was another matter and here the chef really excelled. J had a rhubarb pavlova - poached in a ginger syrup and laid on a chewy meringue filled with vanilla infused cream. I had one of the best sticky toffee puddings I've tasted for a long time - moist, sweet, not drowned in sauce. My only criticism is that it wasn't a big enough portion! Food 3/5 - Season and taste! Service 3/5 - Attentive, but staff lacking in menu knowledge Environment 4/5 - Comfortable, décor Elle Decoration would be proud of says J. read more

Well it can be overpriced (although if you see a show at midnight, you can get in for a fiver), but it has a gravitas despite looking (being!) like it was build yesterday. But I have to say, I haven't seen anything that really, truly struck me as great theatre. and not because I had to stand. read more

Wonderful tourist attraction and a must visit in London. You can top off your visit with lunch in the Swan connected to this site.

Excellent value and a wonderful performance of Henry V. I would recommend this to anyone. SUPERB

Yum afternoon tea and dessert. You can look at the river view from the restaurant. Handsome waiters ;) read more

Swan - British Near Me - Bankside, XGL

No matter how close to the theater or how upscale you think you are, you don't let your guests wait 2 hours for a steak. That's like the ground rule for hospitality, and unfortunately you are not even able to maintain that. read more

I walked along the Southern embankment, and the weather got bad, so I decided to wait until rain is over and have lunch. I found this place beside me, and never regretted. Beautiful, spacey and light restaurant. Had a nice salad and a good steak. Was great to have lunch looking at rainy Thames. read more

We had indian curry with naan, tasty but a bit too small portions. The atmosphere was cosy

Had a really good dinner here before the play. The waiter was fantastic, great service.although it was a little pricey we felt it was worth it given the quality of experience and of course the setting was fantastic with our table overlooking the Thames River. read more

What an amazing place. The atmosphere alone is worth the cost of entry. I would recommend seeing any play here, but a Shakespeare is just magical. If one is not into doom and gloom, Love's Labour's Lost is a light hearted romantic comedy that is a must... Yard tickets are great, and can be picked up for £5, but be prepared to stand for the entire performance. read more

I would just like to comment on the recent tour I went on at the Globe. The tour guide was great, you could tell she really had a passion for Shakespeare and a genuine love for the reconstructed building. An excellent start to learning about Shakespeare, his plays and London in the 16th century. read more

Great experience. The Brit writers book awards was held there recently and it was an amazing event really well done guys.

What can I say excellent from location to menu to service

WOW Think about the history and the people that have been here.. sat in these seats and heckled the actors.. its awe-inspiring read more

A great place indeed ! This is something I'd meant to do for awhile, but never got round to I'm very glad I did. The tour of The Globe was excellent ! The guides are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I loved it. read more

Amazing afternoon tea with a view of the Thames. My mom loved the scones so much that she asked for the recipe and the wonderful Chef came out and gave it to her. read more

I have passed this restaurant so many times and finally decided to pop in here this afternoon for tea with a friend. It was lovely and one of my favorite tea experiences in London so far. The atmosphere was perfect for a rainy day, warm and comforting with lots of seating and soothing lighting. Our server, Emma, was extremely nice and warmly welcomed us and looked after us throughout our experience. I got a pot of English breakfast tea and a huge piece of carrot cake and my friend got the mint tea and a scone-all for £12. I am confused as to why this place was labeled with £££, I thought it was quite affordable, even the main menu items weren't over the top. The Swan is has a very versatile clientele, men in business suits grabbing a pint after work, ladies who lunch, theater goers having an early dinner, everyone seems to go here and there's something for everyone. Check out their drink menu when you go; it is full of very creative and Shakespeare themed drinks. read more

Had a Sunday roast dinner here and was very pleased - we ordered a lamb roast and beef roast, served w/ all the fixings - a giant yorkshire pudding, roasted veggies, gravy - it was so comforting and well executed. We dined upstairs and the ambiance was between formal and casual, so you could easily be dressed up, or in nice jeans. The service was a bit strange, the waiter was least attentive, and unaware of our needs. Thank goodness the other servers were able to bring extra gravy, and we were able to order more drinks with them. Otherwise, great menu and great ambiance! read more

Great for brunch, had the vegetarian eggs Benedict. Other options looked great for meat eaters! Pancakes and bacon, very good portions and tasty food. read more

I was in-between 2 and 3 stars, however the extremely slow service on a weeknight decided me. There is a nice ambiance and you can't go work in those terms plus location is great and of you get a table with a view even better! However, food and service nothing great. The food was alright, but there are better options. Service wise I already mentioned that it was slow... read more

Lovely and enchanting and everything a Shakespearean fan could want, but do make the trip to the south bank count with a visit to the Tate Modern or maybe the NT as well! Both only a short walk from the Globe. read more

Wonderful prix fixe pre-theatre meal, excellent food, great service, good value, amazing views of river and St. Paul's, couldn't be more blissful. read more

This is a great place. You can view authentic recreations of Shapespeare's play here. You should watch a play here and enjoy the atmosphere in there. Plays are usually held during the day. Tickets are pretty pricey but it is worth it. You can get cheaper tickets for a play but you have to stand for the whole play. It is a great way to enjoy it though. You can also go on a tour of the backstage area and the theatre of course. read more

Location and views are amazing. Attended (and took pictures at) a wedding and reception here. Brilliant service and friendliness all day long, great cheese and meat plates, amazing location and just made a brilliant day even more brilliant. read more

A very nice dining room with spectacular river views. Service woefully inadequate. Our server was nice enough but impossible to communicate with her. Asked if the chicken was on the bone and she had no idea what bone meant. She did however know how to try to sell up. Food OK but overpriced for the quality of the entire experience. Fish was nicely cooked and good presentation. Kitchen deserves a better front of house staff. read more

What a beautiful view & setting! Highly recommend it to everyone & anyone! Such a delight, really loved my afternoon! Everything was to die for! read more

Such an awesome place. So good that it made me sign up to Yelp to write this review. Staff so great - super friendly and helpful. Amazing cocktail list. Haven't tried the food yet, but I'll be back. read more

For those with an art and literary interest, this is the place to go in London. Yes, thats a real thatched roof and the performances are nigh sublime. they even use old methods of stage contruction to keep it all the more authentic. A little pricey, but worth it. A good stones throw from Tower Bridge if you take the right route. read more

I've never been to the actual theatre, but I have been to the restaurant which is in the upstairs part of the theatre. The food is truly excellent and the service fantastic. We had a special deal which meant we got the meal for a very reasonable price, but normally the food is quite pricey. However, on this occasion, I feel it would be worth it as the views across the river are stunning and this really is a very special restaurant to eat in. It is ideal for a special or romantic occasion. I must try the theatre soon! read more

I cannot recommend the Globe's production of Taming of the Shrew highly enough. Traditional shakespeare with a modern twist, highly accessible for all age groups and from shakespeare novices to enthusiasts. We were rolling in the isles! This is how it should be done! read more

We visited the Swan Restaurant after watching a matinee performance. It was convenient as it was raining but I had booked a table. At night you'd have a good view of the lights on the opposite riverbank The pre-theatre menu is overpriced for the mediocre food on offer. We both ordered the Herb Crusted Sea Trout with Potato & Cucumber Salad, Pickled Mustard Seeds with Squid Ink and Garlic Mayonnaise. As soon as we saw it we said "It's salmon" and the arrogant waiter's reply was "Trust me, it's trout". It was definitely salmon as I only eat fish and it was slightly overcooked. The amount of salad was about a heaped tablespoon and the mayonnaise was in a tiny dish, so not a big meal. For dessert I had Baked BlackBerry Tart, Frangipane with cream. I've had better and the pastry crust was very hard. We were annoyed by the frequency of waiter visits to top up water and wine. Surely we could have looked after our own water. There are plenty of other restaurants near the Bankside so I'd give it a miss unless you want a good view after dark. Beware: they add 12.5% service charge is added. read more

I think this is an amazing venue (such a great idea to keep it as authentic as possible) and such a brilliant attraction in London. However, I agree with some of the others and wouldnt stand again. I went at school and seem to have forgotten how tiring it was when i went recently. read more

Should be great, initially was great, but just a tourist attraction now really. Worth it once, but look elsewhere for great theatre. The actors tend to be a bit below par too - they'll cast their Macbeth based on his classical work in Hollyoaks over a genuinely capable performer. read more

I chose the Swan for its location, since I was going to a matinee and and evening performance at the Globe. And the location is the only thing to recommend this restaurant. The menu choices were uninspired. The roasted chicken with garlic and thyme not only was dry and overcooked, but it had never been touched with garlic, thyme or any other source of taste. The passion fruit tart had a wet crust and was served with a blob of dense chocolate that was thick and paste-like, though the tart was begging for something light in texture. This meal was so dreadful, it was reminiscent of dormitory food. read more

I would definitely reccomend the globe theatre. After a trip to watch dr Faustus, it was well worth it and has an incredible vibe and atmosphere. Standing can become tedious though so be prepared! read more

Sat by the window on a warm summer's eve my mind drift's, surrounded by wonder my energy begins to stir.Then my friend arrives with two double g+t 's fabulous x read more

The absolute lowlight of our recent trip to London. We booked a table in the restaurant for after our Globe tour: the food was fine but the service was absolutely atrocious. We ordered a bottle of wine to share, after the initial pour it was placed in an ice bucket in another part of the room rather than next to our table. That would have been fine if the staff had refilled glasses as needed: they did not. When all three of our glasses had been empty for some time, one of the other servers noticed. I saw him tell our server that we obviously needed attention. She came over immediately, saying "You needed something?" Really? My husband asked her for more wine and I had to remind her that we had an open bottle across the room. My original choice was not to my liking (again, the food is fine, I had taken a recommendation from the server and found it not to my taste.) The server properly apologized and offered me something else, which I appreciated and thanked her for. Unfortunately, when she brought it she didn't notice that I had no cutlery with which to eat it and disappeared so quickly that I couldn't ask. I wound up eating my meal with my daughter's salad fork and my butter knife. The dessert was some kind of sorbet of a frankly alarming shade floating in a sugary soup with actual multi colored sprinkles on it. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm an American and even I wouldn't touch it. At this point I got up and retrieved our wine bottle so we could refill our (again!) empty glasses. None of the servers who observed this offered assistance. At the close of the meal someone who I assume was a manger asked how the meal was. I shared my opinion of the service (as diplomatically as possible but after all, he asked) and was not given an apology but instead was told it was our server's first day. I don't mean to be insensitive but isn't it the responsibility of the establishment to put properly trained servers on the roster, especially in a restaurant that advertises (and prices) itself as an upscale dining experience? I rarely give negative reviews but in this case, save your money and visit the downscale Anchor pub a few steps away. Still a bit of history and you'll get a decent meal for a decent price. read more

fantastic olde worlde charm, a real visible sense of early english history, worth a peek by anyone interested in theatre, history and romance read more

the one and only place to see the best shakespeare plays and it is fantastic every time i deffenetly reccomend it